She's a Mystery
by Gaijin-Sensei
Summary: Sekto wants revenge on the Stranger and he has hired an assassin named Mystique to kill him. Little is known about her. No one knows who she is or what she is. What are her true motives? Is she good or bad?
1. Mystique the Thief

Hi! My name is Gaijin-Sensei! This is my first Oddworld Fanfinction! Okay, I didn't really play much of Stranger's Wrath, but I read the guide! Does that count? Because I don't own an X-box, I just played it at my niece's house. Anyways, please don't flame me. I'm very sensitive! Enjoy!

Chapter: 1 

"Stranger, Stranger," Sekto said to himself, "Oh, how I hate you with great intensity. You thwarted my plans and drove me out of business! Luckily, I have a back-up plan to ensure my revenge." Images of the Stranger flashed in the multiple screens overhead. A mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. He wore the outfit of a surgeon and his face was concealed with a mask and goggles. Sekto smirked at him. "Thank you so very much, Dr. Psyche." He said. "This robotic body you made for me is simply marvelous. Do not worry about the moolah. I will put it all in your account. Now, do me a favor and call Mystique." Dr. Psyche nodded and retreated back into the shadows. Waiting for Mystique to come, Sekto observed his new body. He was still the same squid who once took over Mongo River. Now, he is in a glass cylinder filled with purple liquid and attached to a robotic body. To put it simple, he was the middle part of the body.

Seconds later, another figure walked in. "Ah, it's an honor to finally meet you." Sekto said. "Mystique the thief. I see you appearance proceeds you." Mystique wore a black cowboy hat, a black scarf that covered most of her face, except her eyes, a black poncho that nearly covered her body, and black high-heeled boots. "You are very mysterious. You are a master in stealth, assassination, deception, and…" She interrupted him. "Get on with it, Squid head! I don't have all day!"

"Temper, temper, young lady. You know why I called you here."

"Yeah, yeah. It was something about a dude who drove out of business."

"Yes. And if you want a better look at him, just look at the screens behind me."

She glimpsed at the images of Stranger and blushed. Since her face was covered, Sekto didn't see that. "Well, he seems…cute. But as cute as he can be, my love for money is stronger."

"I didn't expect the great Mystique to say that. But if it's money you want, it's money you'll get. All you need to do is 'take care' of him. And what I mean by that is kill him."

"Of course, sir."

"Oh, and if it's not too much trouble, I want you to kill him form the inside out."

"You mean, play with his emotions and break his heart? I like the way you think, sir."

"You know the target, you know what to do, now go."

She bowed to him and walked away. She snapped her fingers and two Outlaw Gunners followed her. "You know the plan, boys." She said. "Chase me into town and beat me up. Stranger should come to the rescue, so run off once you see him. I'll be able to take it from there." They nodded to her. "Don't worry, grandfather." She thought to herself. "I'll avenge you. I will make him suffer for your death."

Sorry so short! I probably won't update anytime soon, since I'll be busy with my anime fanfics. But please leave a nice review! Since I didn't really play the game (I only played the beginning), you think you can give me some things I should know about the characters? It would really help out a lot.


	2. Love at First Sight

Thanks for reviewing! I feel better! I think I put Stranger a little out of character in this chapter. Can you Oddworld fans give me tips on his personality? Thanks!

Chapter: 2 

"Heh, haven't been here in a while." Stranger said as he entered Gizzard Gulch. He wore the same outfit he wore the last time he was here. He went to the 'newly built' bounty store, which still looked a lot like it was before, to see if there were any outlaws wanted. The clakker at the desk greeted him. "Hey, Stranger!" He said. "Long time, no see, huh?"

"Cut the small talk, clakker. Any outlaws that need to be taken in?"

"Well…" The clakker said, showing Stranger a wanted poster.

"Who the heck is this?" He asked.

"This is Six-shooter Sam. He and his gang rampage through a different town every day, trying to get our moolah. Luckily, you showed up. He's coming to our town today."

"Well, that's convenient. It'll be like the good old days. Just have my moolah ready when I bring him in."

"Sure, Stranger."

Outside the bounty store, Mystique made it into town, although she wasn't chased into town like she planned it. "Where are those gunners?" She thought. "This is so not going according to plan. Oh no, did SHE get to them? If that dork did, then-then… Oh man!" She spotted the town's general store and walked toward it. "Better not attract too much attention. I'll have to make do with what I have. I just hope Stranger's in town." She adjusted her scarf to cover her face, except her eyes, and entered the store.

Stranger left the bounty store and went to the general store to get some live ammo. When he entered the store, Mystique purchased a pack of arrows. Each arrow was about 8 inches long. He couldn't tell if she was a girl since she wore a large poncho. At least, not until she lifted the front part of her poncho with one hand to get the pack of arrows with the other hand. Doing this revealed her feminine features, which really caught his attention. He may be looking from the side, but he could tell that she has a slim waist, wide hips, and large breasts. "That woman has quite the body." He thought. She wore a tight fitting mid-drift tube top, tight pants, high-heeled boots, and long fingerless gloves, which were all black.

After she got her arrows, she headed for the exit. She gave Stranger a quick stare with her icy blue eyes, as she passed by him. He stared at her, too, only it was more 'down hill.' "He's staring as if he's never seen a woman before." She thought to herself. Just after that little thought, she felt a pinch on her butt. Then she heard Stranger snickering. "You're lucky I'm pretty busy, otherwise I'll have your head on a pike." She said to him. She winked at him and went through the door. "I think I'm in love." Stranger said to himself.

If it's not too much trouble, can you guys check out my anime fanfics? Just click on my pen name to see them. Before I forget, rating might go to M for intense romance scenes.


	3. SixShooter Sam

Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but school got me busy. I don't how school is in your place, but here in Guam, it's pretty tough. Because of the overcrowding of freshmen (me included) the DOE decided that us freshmen should be separated from the upperclassmen and take classes in the afternoon, which would be 1pm to 6 pm. So yeah it's pretty tough. We don't get field trips! Anyways, please enjoy this chapter.

Chapter: 3 

After purchasing all the live ammo he needed, Stranger heard an explosion coming from outside. He quickly ran out of the store and saw Six-shooter Sam and his gang of outlaws standing at the town entrance. He wore a long black leather trench coat, black pants, a belt made form skulls, and a huge black sombrero. He held two pistols with menacing blades pointing down from the handles. He pointed one of his pistols to the sky and pulled the trigger. The bullet it shot reached nearly 50 feet in the air. Then seconds later, it exploded. All the clakkerz in town fled back into their homes. "That, my little chicken friends, is a bomb bullet." Sam yelled. "Each of my pistols' bullet is filled with nitroglycerin. It'll explode just seconds after it's shot and it can definitely get some distance. It'll also explode the minute it touches another object after it's shot. But enough about that, let's get down to business. Now, give me my money, or I'll turn this dusty old town into a barren wasteland."

Stranger loaded his crossbow with boombats. He yelled out to Sam. "You're not the only one with exploding ammo!" He aimed his crossbow to Sam and shot a boombat at him. It exploded upon impact. "That ought to finish him off." Stranger thought to himself. "But just in case he survived, I'll have to use some stingbees."

An outlaw bomber emerged from the dust cloud and ran toward Stranger. Stranger quickly shot a boombat at the bomber, causing him to blow up. Suddenly, Sam appeared behind Stranger and put him in a headlock. "Looks like you fell for the old distraction trick. In case you didn't know, it'll take more than a puny boombat to bring me down." He said. "Say, you're the Stranger aren't you?"

"What's it to you!"

"Well, I expected much more of a challenge from you."

"I let my guard down for a second, big deal!"

Sam slammed Stranger into the ground and pinned him down with his boot pressing on his neck. "I'll you what the 'big deal' is, Stranger. You see, I'm not from around these here parts. I come from the Eastern Mudos. I only came to the Western Mudos because I thought there was more fun here, but I guess I was wrong. When heard about you, I thought you would put up a good fight, but I guess I was wrong about that, too. You see, compared to the bounty hunter who's after me, you're no weaker than a mouse. The bounty hunter who's after my head is known as 'The Arrow from the East.'"

"Why is he called that?"

"Ain't it obvious? He uses a crossbow! But he doesn't use that there fancy crossbow you got. He only uses two single-shooting crossbows. And he only uses arrows, not them live ammo critters like you uses."

Sam took out one of his pistols and pointed it to Stranger's head. "Well, it's not like I got anything better to do. Maybe blowing up your head can be a bit amusing."

Okay, I don't know if there is an Eastern Mudos, but I do know that Stranger stays in the Western Mudos, right? Am I right?


	4. A Misuderstanding

Hello, my reviews! Sorry if my other chapters were short. But I can't really help myself. Anyways, here's a new chapter!

Chapter: 4 

"Well, Stranger, it's been nice knowing you." Sam said, pulling lightly on the trigger.

Suddenly, a dagger flew out of nowhere and stabbed into the pistol's cartridge. The dagger caused all of those nitroglycerin-filled bullets to explode at the same time. It fatally burned his hand. Injured, Sam was forced to release Stranger.

Stranger quickly ran behind some wooden barrels to shake off the damages. "Who threw that dagger?" He thought. "Whoever threw that must have great accuracy."

After he shook off the damage and regained his health, a strange noise caught his attention. It sounded like strings were being stretched. "It sounds like someone's loading a crossbow." Stranger thought. "But who could it be? I'm the only one in the whole area with a crossbow, unless it's…"

A whistling sound interrupted him. It was so loud that he couldn't figure out where it was coming from. He peeked out from the barrels to see what Sam was doing. He was surprised. Sam was shaking in fear. "Whoa." Stranger thought. "He's really freaked out."

Sam gulped and yelled out loud. "I know you're here, Arrow!" He said. "Come and get me, if you dare!" The whistling stopped. The wind started to pick up, forming into a small tornado of sand a few feet from Sam. Seconds later, it started to slow down and clear up.

As it cleared up, Sam and Stranger saw a figure walking toward them. Stranger was still behind the barrels. The figure wore a black cowboy hat, a large black poncho, and black boots. Stranger examined the figure. "Could that be who I think it is?" He thought.

Sam yelled to the person. "So, the Arrow from the East!" He said. "You followed me all the way to the Western Mudos, huh? Well, I'll give you this; you're a man with guts. And that was some entrance." He could see that Arrow was frowning. "Oh, did I offend his majesty?"

Arrow took out a crossbow from his holster and pointed it to Sam. His crossbow was much smaller that Stranger's. It wasn't attached to his arm, instead it has the style of a gun and he held it like one. It was loaded with one thick green arrow. The wind started to pick up again. "What the hell is wrong with this weather?" Sam said, angrily. Sand blew into his eyes, temporarily blinding him. The Arrow spoke with a deep loud menacing voice. "You have escaped justice for the last time, Sam. That makes me angry, very angry. My anger is the gust of wind blowing into town. I can create a tornado when I am seriously mad."

"How are you doing this?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out. Anyways, escaping me is just one of things that made me angry. You have stolen something from my family, and you insulted me by calling me something I clearly am not."

"What? You're a girl?"

"Yes!" Arrow said, angrily. 'She' removed her hat. And everyone was shocked. Arrow was indeed a girl. She had long glossy blue hair, yellow catlike eyes, and a pointed nose that was similar to a cat's nose. The wind blew up her poncho and revealed her feminine body. "She's the woman I ran into at the store." Stranger thought.

She spoke with her normal female voice. "You are so going down, Sam." She said, pressing lightly on the crossbow's trigger. Sam fell to his knees. "Please have mercy, miss Arrow!" He pleaded. She smirked. "Sorry, but you don't deserve a second chance."


	5. Shot Down

Sorry, I haven't updated in while. I was waiting for my Zatch Bell graphic novel. Still hasn't come yet. Anyways, thanks for all those nice reviews! I made this chapter a little bit longer.

Disclaimer: I only own Mystique and her chimera thing.

Chapter: 5 

"Any last words, Sam?" Arrow said, pressing harder on the trigger. Sam didn't say anything. "Nothing? Fine!" She yelled at him. She pulled the trigger. However, Sam had fooled her. Just when the arrow was about to launch, Sam quickly punched her in the stomach, causing her to fall on her back. The arrow shot into the sky. Seconds later, it bursted into a net and instead of capturing Sam, it fell on Arrow, pinning her to the ground.

Sam walked to her with his second pistol pointing to her head. "Well, Arrow," He said, pressing lightly on the trigger, "It looks like you lost your touch." She smiled at him. "You forget, Sam. I'm not the only bounty hunter in town!"

When Stranger heard that, he knew that she needed help. He quickly loaded his crossbow with a chippunk and some fuzzles. He shot the chippunk a few feet away from Sam. Its annoying jabbering got his attention. He ran toward it and started stomping at it. With Sam busy, Stranger shot a few fuzzles at Arrow. When they landed on her, they started biting through the net. After they freed her, the fuzzles vanished. Sam was still distracted by the chippunk, so Stranger waved at Arrow. She saw him and quickly ran toward him. She sat next to him behind the barrels. "So what's the plan, Stranger?" She asked, while loading her crossbow with arrows. She took out a second crossbow and loaded it, too. With both crossbows loaded, she asked again, "Hello, Stranger. What is the plan? Sooner or later, that chippunk is going to get crushed by Sam and he'll come looking for us."

Stranger didn't say anything; instead he was staring at her. Her poncho was blowing up again, revealing her seductive bust. The second she found out that he was staring; she got angry and slapped him, which brought him to his senses. She yelled at him. "Hello! There's a crazy outlaw out there that we need to bring down before he could hurt anybody, and you're just sitting there staring like some pervert!" He just gave her a nervous laugh.

Suddenly, they heard a bang sound. They peeked out from the barrels and saw that Sam had shot the chippunk. He pointed his pistol to them. "Sorry to interrupt your love fest, lovebirds, but I got bone to pick with you!" He yelled to them.

Arrow jumped out from behind the barrels and yelled back to him. "We are not lovebirds!"

Now that she was out in the open, Sam quickly shot a bullet at her. She pointed her crossbow at the bullet. But just when she was about to take a shot, Stranger jumped from behind the barrels and pushed her to the ground. Both of them dodged the bullet, which exploded behind them. Arrow pushed him off. "What is your problem? I can handle him! Besides, I already set a trap!"

'You did?"

"Duh! And it should go off right about now!"

Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound coming out of nowhere. After that, a menacing roar came. The ground started shaking under Sam. Seconds later, a giant tentacle with dozens of smaller tentacles at the tip plowed through the surface and quickly coiled around Sam's waist. When the smaller tentacles touched his body, the slime oozing from the tentacles paralyzed him.

Just after that, the creature attached to the tentacles dug through the surface. When it came out, it turns out that the tentacle was its tongue. The creature looked like a big saber tooth tiger, big enough to ride on. It had the front arms of a mole and its hind legs look like bird feet with very sharp talons. It also had huge bird wings, a serpent for a tail, and piercing red cat eyes. It wore a saddle with the letter 'M' engraved on the buckle.

Arrow walked up to Sam. "What's the matter, Sam? Cat got your tongue?" She taunted. He was so paralyzed that he couldn't move his mouth. She spoke to the creature. "Chimera, drop him." It obeyed her and dropped Sam in front of her. She began digging in his pockets until she found a yellow shard. "The power of explosion." She said to herself as she slipped it into her pocket. She glared at him and in a flash, she stabbed him in the neck with a dagger, killing him. She turned to Stranger. "I'm sorry for killing him. I know outlaws here are worth more alive than dead. But he deserved it." She said. "By the way, don't call me Arrow. My real name is Mystery, but just call me Mysti for short."

Before he could say anything, he heard two gunshots coming from behind. Suddenly, he felt one bullet shot into his right arm and another into his back. He didn't scream in pain, but he did blackout. "Stranger!" Mysti called out, as he fell to the ground. She looked around to see where the bullets came from. She saw two gunners running away on the rooftops. "Not exactly what I had in mind. But they were definitely late." She thought. "Well, they did their job…sort of. Now I got to continue with the plan."

Okay, I now got a sort of a writer's block, so could you guys out there give me a few ideas?


	6. Something Strange

Sorry, I haven't updated in a looooooonnnnggg while.Oh well, it's better late than never. Anyways, enjoy this chapter! I think I put Stranger a little out of character again. Just tell me what you think!

Chapter: 6 

Stranger slowly opened his eyes. He noticed that he was back in his house. "How did I get back here?" He thought. He was lying down on his bed, but he wasn't wearing his poncho and his hat. His crossbow wasn't attached to his arm and his ammo bag was gone. White bandages were wrapped around his right arm and his torso. They were a bit itchy, but not worth to scratch.

He felt something nudging against his shoulder. When he turned to see what it was, he was surprised. It was Mysti, sleeping right next to him on his bed. She wasn't wearing her poncho or her hat. He couldn't help but blush at the very sight of her.

Seeing her like this gave him the sudden urge to "mate" with her. He started leaning towards her. Before he could lie on her, she spoke to him, which made him stop. "Don't even think about it, Stranger." She said. "I'm tired from removing both bullets from your arm and back. And I'm too tired for you to 'do' me in bed!"

After saying that, Mysti got out of bed to check on Stranger's wounds. He spoke to her. "Umm…Thanks, Mysti." She smiled at him. "Don't mention it." She said, while unraveling the bandages on his arm. When she removed the bandages, Stranger noticed that there was a metal wire stitched into his arm. "I had to stitch up the wound after I removed the bullet with my dagger. I did the same thing to the one on your back." She explained, as she wrapped the wound with a clean bandage.

"How did you know where my home was, Mysti?" Stranger asked as he sat up straight.

Mysti sat next to him, but she looked at an open window. "The clakkerz told me. You know, I didn't mean to snoop around, but I noticed that this is a pretty big house for just you alone. You live in a two story wooden house. The kitchen and living room are on the first floor. And there are two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. If you don't mind me asking, who owns the second bedroom?"

He looked down and answered, "No one. I've been living alone ever since."

"Ever since what?"

"Since most of my kind was killed off by a selfish madman, who everyone calls Sekto!"

After saying that something very strange happened. Stranger's eyes slowly turned red, his pointed nails grew longer and sharper, and his teeth grew into menacing fangs. This began to scare Mysti. But this only lasted for a few seconds. He then changed back to normal, though; he acted as if nothing happened. He looked at Mysti and smiled at her. "You can stay in the other bedroom if you want." She simply nodded and got out of bed. She grabbed her things and walked out the door.

Inside the bedroom, the usual things were there. There was a bed, a wardrobe, a dresser, and a phone on a side table next to the bed. She went to the phone and used it. After dialing the number, she spoke, "Hello? Sekto? It's me Mystique."

"Mystique, what's going on? Is everything going as planned?"

"A bumpy start, but going well. Stranger's out of commission. Should I strike now?"

"No, not yet."

"Why not!"

"Something else came up. One of my Wolvarks scouts overheard a Grubb Meeting. It seems word got out that I'm back. And the Grubbs have already built another stronghold, better than the last one. They have also been going under special training, which means they'll be stronger than last time."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"Simple, my dear. Continue flirting with Stranger until he completely trusts you. Then get him to take you to the Grubb Stronghold. I want you to give me every little detail and weak point the stronghold has."

"Alright, I will do this, but I better get paid…a lot."

"Of course." After saying that, they both hung up. Mysti lied down on the bed and stared at the ceiling. She smirked. "This should be easy. I'll have him wrapped around my finger in no time. Don't worry, grandpa…I'll avenge you. I will make him suffer."


	7. Family Reunion

Hello! Nothing much to say but enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I only own Mysti, Kitsune, and Oni-Yuri.

Chapter: 7 

It was morning. Stranger was still asleep, until he felt something poking at his face. When he woke up, Mysti was standing at his bedside. "Morning, sleepy-head." She said, cheerfully. "Breakfast is ready, and we have some guests."

Stranger quickly got out of bed. "Guests? What Guests?"

"I don't know, but they sure seem to know you a lot. Anyways, hurry up and get some breakfast. I cooked up some French toast and coffee. I already ate, so I'll be outside with Chimera."

"Who's chimera?"

"You know, the giant cat with the long tongue that helped us capture Six-Shooter Sam. Well, just go and eat, don't make our guests wait too long!" Then she ran downstairs.

"Probably the Grubbs." Stranger thought. "What are they doing here?" He got dressed and went downstairs.

In the living room, he saw Frayda, the Grubb leader, and two other Grubbs. They were sitting by the fireplace, drinking coffee. "What are you guys doing here?" He asked, walking down the stairs.

"We were just checking up on you, dude." Frayda said, as she and the other Grubbs bowed to him. Then she narrowed her eyes and smiled. "So, you finally got a woman living in the house, huh? Did you 'deliver the package' yet, dude?"

That made him a little nervous."You have a sick mind, Frayda?"

"Look who's talking, dude. She told us that you almost 'did her' after she saved your life."

"Hey, I'm a guy. I can't help it."

"Pervert."

"You just shut up. Say, do you think she's a steef, too?"

"I'm not really sure, dude. I mean, her nose is smaller than yours and it's pointed like a cat's. Her forearms and hands aren't as big and robust as yours. She was wearing shorts, and we only saw that she only had two legs. Tell you the truth, we have no idea what she is."

Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from outside. It sounded like Mysti. They all ran outside to see what it was, and they were surprised, very surprised.

Outside, there were two steef. One was an adult male with a black mane, and the other was a smaller female with a yellow mane. Mysti was hugging the female steef. Stranger walked toward Mysti and tapped her on the shoulder. "Mysti, who are they?" He asked, pointing at both of them. She let go of the female steef and introduced them. "This is my older brother, Kitsune." She said, pointing at the bigger steef. He looked like Stranger only that he was a few feet taller and has a black mane and blue eyes. Then she pointed to the female steef. "This is my older sister, Oni-Yuri. I know she may not look it, but she's actually ten years older than me." She said, patting her head. Oni-Yuri was shorter than Mysti. She looked like Kitsune only she looked more feminine and more like a child. She had a yellow mane and big brown eyes.

Stranger asked Mysti, "Are you a steef, too?" She tilted her head. "Actually, I'm only steef on my mother's side. I look more like my father, which I have no idea what he is. Kitsune and Oni-Yuri are really my half-siblings."

Frayda and the other Grubbs walked toward Kitsune and Oni-Yuri. Then, all of the sudden, they started cheering. "Yay! Whoohoo! There's more steef!"

Kitsune simply nodded, while Oni-Yuri joined in with the Grubbs. "Mysti, are there really more steef?" Strange asked once more. She tilted her head again. "Well, all I know is that I have other siblings back home in the Eastern Mudos. I don't really know if there are any other steef."

Oni-Yuri stopped playing around and jumped on Kitsune's shoulders. "Hey, sis! Big bro and me are going home now! We just came to check on you. We live pretty nearby now. Just look for a dojo near the river." She said. She smiled at both of them. "I expect at least two steef cubs after your marriage! One girl and one boy!" She teased, which made Mysti and Stranger blush. Kitsune took out a small black ball and threw it the ground. The ball released a smoke screen and they just disappeared.

"She is expecting too much." Mysti said, blushing. After the smokescreen completely disappeared, Chimera came in walking with a suitcase in her mouth. There was a note attached to the handle. Mysti walked over to read.

It read:

"Dear sister Mysti,

Since you are now living with your soon-to-be husband, I thought it would much better to send your stuff. Thank me later!

Yours truly, Oni-Yuri."

This little note made her angry. "Doesn't she realize that my so called 'soon-to-be husband' is my target to kill! It's all part of my plan to avenge grandpa! Maybe I'll tell her when the time is right. Besides, the only person who knows about my plan is Kitsune. I'm pretty sure he won't tell." She thought. She grabbed the suitcase and went to the house.

"I'll just put my stuff away." She said, smiling at Stranger. "Then we can go bounty hunting!"


	8. The Kiss

I am so sorry I didn't update in a long time. I was busy with other fanfics and such. This story is about to become more "intense" with romance, starting with this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter: 8

Flash-Forward

After the bounty mission, Stranger and Mysti were already back at the house. Stranger was counting the reward money in front of fireplace. Mysti came in from the kitchen with two mugs filled with coffee. "How much did we make?", she asked, handing him a mug. "$2, 000", he answered, grabbing the mug.

"Wow, that's a lot." Mysti said, sipping her coffee. Stranger noticed something odd about her. After drinking her coffee, she just stared at the fireplace, as if she was in a trance. He sat next to her. "You seem sad, are you okay?" He asked.

"Oh, I'm okay! Really, I am. You know, you didn't tell me why you needed that operation. Why did you need it?"

"Well, I ……."

"Come on, you can tell me." She said, nudging his shoulder.

"Alright, alright," he started, "It's because of my four legs. I'm considered an animal here. I just wanted to be normal, like everyone else. And you know what, I'm kind of jealous of you, Mysti."

"Why? Is it because of my two legs?"

"Yes, that's right. Steef with two legs aren't worth hunting."

"You mean, Steef with two legs are worthless."

"Yes----I mean no. I didn't mean you're worthless. I meant they look more normal."

"You know what's so weird? I'm kind of jealous of you, too, Stranger."

"Why's that?"

"It's your legs. I wish I had four legs like you. If I had four legs, then at least I'm worth something. Because back home, I was treated like a freak. All because of these two legs of mine. I was the only Steef with two legs. Everyone made fun of me, and even my own mother rejected me. She was a normal four-legged steef, but I wasn't.

When I was just small cub, my mother abandoned me. I was all alone until an elder steef came and raised me. Unlike my mother, he didn't care if I had two legs; he just wanted me to be safe. He taught me how to fight and how to survive. He only stayed with me for three years, then he went back home. I wanted to put my skills to good use, so I became a bounty hunter.

So, you see, Stranger, sometimes it's best to stay the way you are."

He was very surprised and also shocked to hear her story. It sort of made him feel bad. Then suddenly, she started crying. "What's wrong, Mysti?" He asked. She smiled at him, wiping her face. "It's nothing, really. It's just that this is the first time I have ever said this story to anyone other than my brothers and sisters." She answered.

Stranger leaned even closer to her. "Hey, Mysti, I want to ask you something." He asked. She became skeptical about him. "Okay, what?" She answered back.

"Can I kiss you?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'CAN I KISS YOU?'?" She yelled at him. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause I want to………"

"'CAUSE I WANT TO'! WHAT KIND OF EXUSE IS THAT!" She crossed her arms and sighed. "Well………..alright, go ahead. Just be lucky, I'm 'in the mood.'"

He leaned toward her. And soon, his lips met with hers. They kissed. Slowly, his arms were wrapped around her waist. Mysti's hands were entangled in his mane, and pulling him in even more, increasing the pressure of the kiss. Stranger started getting that feeling inside him. He turned this simple lip lock into a deep French one. "Come on, Mysti, loosen up a little." He thought. Seconds later, she moaned. "Now that's what I'm talking about!" His hand traveled from her waist to her chest. He cupped her breast and gave a little squeeze. This made her moan again.

This kiss lasted for only a few minutes. Mysti broke the kiss and looked at him. "Why did you do that?" She asked. He blushed at her. He answered, "I want to make love to you, when you're ready." Mysti was speechless. She backed away from him and said, "This is just getting weirder by the second." She left him and went to her room. She could hear him yell back to her. "I'M SORRY!" She yelled back to him. "IT'S OKAY! YOU'RE A GUY!" She could hear him walking back to his room.

She smiled evilly. "This is too easy! He's practically wrapped around my finger already. I'll have to get the information. But if he drags me to HIS bed, he's DEAD!"

Okay, this is my first intense romance scene. I think I put Stranger out of character again. Forgive me!


	9. The Journal

Sorry, I haven't updated in a looooooooooooooong time. Here's chapter 9! Enjoy! Though, I think I put Stranger out of character again.

Chapter: 9

It was already morning. "That was pretty weird yesterday." Mysti thought, as she got out of bed. "And strangely, I actually enjoyed it." She got dressed and went down stairs. "Stranger! You awake!" She yelled, as she entered the kitchen, but no one answered.

"Where is he?" She thought. Then she noticed a note on the table. She read it.

It read:

"Went bounty hunting. Sorry I didn't wake you up. Thought you were still mad at me since yesterday. I'll make it up to you when I get back."

After reading the note, she just smiled evilly. "This will just give me more time to snoop around his house for information." She said to herself. She began to search the house. The last spot she didn't search in was Stranger's room.

When she entered his room, it was almost the same as her room, but there was one thing different about it. There was a bookshelf near the window. She began to look through the books. But one book caught her attention. It was titled "Journal." This made her smile again. "Interesting." She thought. "Well, what he won't know won't hurt him."

As she opened the journal, sheets of paper fell out. She picked the papers up and went through them. "Well, well, well, how delightful." She said. "These look like maps and blueprints."

She laid them separated from each other. She took out a small camera from her pocket and started taking pictures of each paper. "It's all here." She said, happily. "The map to the stronghold. The map of the stronghold. The blueprints of the stronghold. Everything, and I didn't even have to get Stranger to take me there."

After taking the pictures, she put the papers back in the book and read through the journal. "I had no idea that the Strange would even have a journal." She thought, as she flipped through the pages. She began to read the recent entries by Stranger.

It started:

"Entry 26……….

Today was the worst day ever. I may have gotten rid of Sekto, but in the process, I accidentally killed one of my own kind. The Grubbs told me he was the Olden Steef, their guardian, who had disappeared a long time ago."

Mysti sighed, as a thought traveled through her mind. "Could it be that HE killed him, instead of………NO! Don't think like that!" She thought, as she continued reading.

"Entry 30………

This is the strangest day ever. Ever since Mysti started living with me, I couldn't really think straight with her. I feel strange when she's around. I guess you could call it love, but I'm not really sure. I do weird things to her and say strange things to her. Like, 'I want to make love to you.' That is so lame. I bet she thinks I'm weird. But I should learn how to take it by steps."

She couldn't help but giggle slightly. "NOW he gets it?" She said. "He IS lame."

After that last entry, she put the journal back in the bookshelf. She looked at her watch and noticed it was already late afternoon. "Okay, looks like time flies when you're having fun. I gotta get out of here before Stranger's comes and……………."

She was interrupted when she saw Stranger already at the bedroom door, looking at her. "I'm busted, right?"

"Oh, yeah…….." He said, walking to her. He looked very annoyed, which made her worry.

"Oh, no……did he find out?" She thought.

A/N: Sorry so short! I'm very sorry! TT


	10. Being in Heat

Here's Chapter 10! Enjoy!

Chapter: 10

Stranger glared at Mysti as he walked toward her. He grabbed her risk and pulled her to him. "What were you doing?" He asked, looking her straight in the eye. She gulped and answered him. "I was just snooping around, that's all."

"Is that so? Didn't you brother ever tell you that invading other people's privacy is wrong?"

"Well, I can't help it. I sneak through his stuff, too. I guess I was just feeling a little homesick."

"Okay." Stranger said, letting her go. "Just don't do that again."

"Alright, I'm sorry."

"Mysti, come downstairs with me. I want you to see something."

"Oh man! I hope he didn't find out. If he saw me taking information, then I have to kill him now!"She thought, asshe took out a knife and hid it behind her back.

As they both walked downstairs, Mysti slowly crept closer behind Stranger. She took out the knife and was ready to stab him in the back. But then he quickly turned around, making her freeze in place. He saw the knife and smiled.

"Hey, a knife." He said, smiling, which left Mysti shocked. "I need that." He said, taking the knife.

"That was weird. I guess he didn't see me take the information." She said to herself.

"Um, Stranger………What's going on?" She asked. He smiled at her. "Close your eyes, Mysti."

"Okay." She closed her eyes, until she reached the first floor.

"Mysti, you can open your eyes now." Stranger said, smiling.

When she opened her eyes, she was surprised. They were in the living room. There were lit candles everywhere, and on the table were two glass cups filled with wine. Beside the cups were two small plates that held some chunks of cheese. "Wow. Cheese and wine." She said, walking to the table. "Was this your plan of making it up to me?"

"Yeah……." He answered shyly.

She sat on the sofa behind the table. Stranger followed her and began cutting the cheese with the knife he took from her. They didn't talk to each other for a while.

While Stranger was cutting the cheese, Mysti went for a cup of wine and started drinking. "So…..ummmmmm…….how much did this cost you?" She asked, breaking the silence between them. "Not much." He answered back. He took a piece of cheese and ate it.

"Okay………I was wondering, why did you keep staring at me?"

"What?"

"You know, you kept staring my body. What part did you keep staring at?"

"Your……….chest."

"What about it?" She asked, glaring at him.

"You got a nice pair…….."

"……………………."

"And they're natural………."

"…………………….."

"Okay, that came out wrong."

She giggled at him, and then laughed, which left him baffled. "What're you laughing at?" He asked, confused.

"That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." She answered, wiping her tears.

"What! Really?"

"Yeah! When guys look at my chest, they think I got implants. Which is, by far, very rude!"

"Is that so?"

"Yup!"

After that, a strange chill ran up Stranger's spine. He started to feel nervous, and Mysti noticed it, too. "Are you okay, Stranger?" She asked, worriedly, but he didn't answer.

Suddenly, his appearance started to change again. His eyes slowly turned red, his nails turned into the claws, and his teeth grew into fangs. Mysti quickly backed away from him. And in a flash, Stranger lunged at her, but she ducked, missing him. He recovered from his miss and landed on all fours. (Or all six)

Mysti quickly ran up stairs with Stranger on her heels. She locked herself in her room, and held back the door. Stranger rammed into the door, but was unsuccessful. He then continued head butting the door, trying to make his way in.

"What is wrong with him?" She thought to herself. She sat down still holding back the door. Then a thought struck her mind. "Wait a minute!" She thought. "It's summer. And during the summer, all Steef go into heat and the males go crazy if they don't find a mate. Great………When I thought he was angry, he was actually being horny. Gross."

"Now what did my brother say in how to calm a male Steef that's in heat?" She asked herself.

A/N: End of Chapter! See you in chapter 11.


	11. A Hot Night Deliverin!

Alright, peoples! Here it is………..Intense romance! Younger audience please avert you eyes!

Chapter: 11

Stranger was still banging on the door, trying to make his way into Mysti's room. It has already been a few hours since he started banging on her door. It's already 11:00 at night. Mysti was still holding back the door.

She began to dig in her pockets, looking for her cellphone. When she found it, she called her brother. "Hello, Kitsune?" She asked. He answered back to her. "Hey! What's up, little sis? Everything alright with Stranger?"

"Oh, yeah……..Except for one thing….."

"What's that, Mysti?"

"He's in heat and he almost attacked me! What should I do to calm him down?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes, please! Anything!"

"Alright, then. Just give him what he wants."

"What!"

"He's in heat, right?"

"Yeah…………"

"Well, what do you think a guy would want when he's in heat?"

"You mean, I have to……….."

"Yup. If you want him to stop, then you have to let him make love to you."

"But I don't want to! Is there another way to calm him down? Can't I just wait for him to run out of energy?"

"Nope. Male Steefs won't rest until they find their mate. Good thing I'm already married. There is one other thing you could do."

"Really? What?"

"Just flirt with him more and keep him away from your you-know-what."

"Okay……."

"Good luck, little sis."

She hung up and sighed. She got up still holding back the door. And Stranger is still banging on the door. Finally, she talked to him. "Stranger!" She called to him. He stopped the second he heard her. "I'll come out!" She yelled to him.

She opened the door and without warning, Stranger quickly grabbed her. His muscular arms were wrapped around her. She couldn't break free from his grip. He then brought her to the bed and pinned her down.

They were now face-to-face. He was on top of her. His hands held her hands down and his legs held her legs down. Mysti started talking to him. "Why are you doing this to me?" She whispered to him.

"Because of our kind." He answered back. "It's for the best of our kind."

"It may be the best for our kind, but it's not the best for me."

"But we're both in heat. We're both ready for this."

"My body may be ready, but my spirit isn't. Didn't you say you wanted to make love to me only when I'm ready?"

"Yeah, but…………….."

She looked into his eyes and noticed something strange. His eyes began to slowly change back to green. His grip started to loosen on her. Then he rested his head on her shoulder. "I'm sorry….." He whispered to her. "I couldn't control myself."

After hearing that, a strange emotion got to her. She now wants him to actually do her. She smiled at him, which caught his attention. "What?" He asked her curiously. She giggled slightly at him. "You can do it. Go ahead…….do me." She said, smiling.

He was a bit shocked, but he replies with a smile. He made his move on her. He started with a very compassionate kiss on her lips. His arms traveled to her body and his hands began to explore her. Mysti did the same thing on him. Her fingers ran through his mane, slowly massaging him.

Soon, their affair got deeper. Without breaking the kiss, Stranger pulled the sheets over him and her. His hands traveled down her waist and to her pants. Mysti did the same thing, too. They both undid their pants and they were both ready for it.

Their compassionate kiss still went on, until Stranger finally delivered to her. He made that push into her, making her moan loudly. Then he started a rhythm on her body. From up then down, and push and pull. Every time he pushed into her, he'd increase in speed and pressure, making her moan even louder every time.

Her body repeatedly hit the bed. Sweat started to cover both their bodies. Both of them felt weaker by the second. And finally, after that last push, Stranger was done. He got off her and laid by her side. This affair lasted less than hour. But it was worth it.

They were both weak and out of energy. Neither of them could barely move. And just like that they both fell asleep.

A/N: See you in chapter 12!


	12. Stranger will Fall

Hello, everybody! Is chapter 11 eleven a little too intense? Well, anyways, here's Chapter 12.

Chapter: 12

The sun was just creeping into the sky, as the moon slowly disappeared. Not a thing awoke, except for a certain someone.

Stranger was still asleep, but Mysti was awake. Without waking him up, she slipped out from his arms, got dressed, and went to the kitchen. She took out her cellphone and called Sekto. "Hello, Sekto?" She asked. He answered to her. "What's going on, Mystique? Did you get the information?"

"Everything is right here, sir."

"Good! Now hurry up and send them to me, so I can get on with my revenge."

"Not just yet, sir. I won't give them to you right now."

"What! I thought we had a deal."

"The deal is still on, but I just want to toy with Stranger a little more. I mean, I just started living with him. I want to build our relationship a little more before we 'break up.'"

"What are you getting at, Mystique?"

"Just give me a few more months, and soon Stranger will fall hard……..very hard. Can you wait that long, sir?"

"Fine. Just give the information when you're ready. Am I clear, Mystique?"

"Crystal, sir." After saying that, she hung up and put her cellphone away.

A few minutes later, Stranger came walking into the kitchen. "Morning." Mysti greeted him. "Yeah, morning." Stranger said to her, still a little drowsy.

"You know, about last night……….."

"Listen, I'm sorry if I hurt you in any way, Mysti. I was just in heat." Stranger said, interrupting her.

"Hey, I was in heat, too. It's okay, really."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry. It's just that we've been skipping a few steps in the relationship thing. I mean, I've only started living with you, and we've already ………done it."

"…………..You could say that."

"I thought so. Why don't we start getting to know each other? You do know, one day I'll be carrying cubs, right?"

"Right, if we're going to make this work, then we got to have a solid friendship."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

And soon after that, they started spending time with each other a lot.

A/N: Sorry so seriously short! I hate writer's block!


	13. Revealed

Hello, everybody! Here's Chapter 13!

Chapter: 13

For several months, Stranger and Mysti's relationship started to build and build. Little did Stranger know, Mysti was already plotting his fall. She had already sent the information to Sekto, and now all that was left, was to 'break up' with him.

One day, Mysti and Stranger went on a stroll into the forest. Stranger kept thinking that it was just like any other date they've been on, but Mysti had other plans for him. Since they were alone and far away, there was no way he could know what was happening at the Grubb village.

They both stopped at a huge tree with its enormous roots sprouting out of the ground. This was the spot where she revealed her secrets to him. They both sat next to each other on the tree's roots. "Stranger?" Mysti called to him. "Yeah? What is it, Mysti?" He answered to her.

"Do you love me, Stranger?"

"What're you talking about? Of course, I love you. Do you love me?"

"Yes, I do. But surely, the love you have for me will end today."

"What! What are you talking about, Mysti!"

She got up and walked away from him. She leaned against a tree, with her bangs covering her eyes. "You were always too soft, Stranger." She said to him. He was shocked when he heard that. "Mysti! What's wrong with you?" He asked, walking to her.

She looked at him, moving her bangs away from her eyes. When Stranger glanced at her eyes, he was stunned. Her eyes were no longer yellow like before, but they were now icy blue just like when he ran into her at the shop. "You are so blind, Stranger." She teased him.

"Mysti, are you okay?" He asked, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"You idiot! I played you like a harp!" She yelled at him, slapping his hand away. "I'm not who you think I am."

"What are you talking about?"

"You want to know the real me, Stranger?"

"What?"

"My name is not Mysti or Mystery. It's Mystique the thief. I was hired by Sekto to kill you from the inside, but first I had to get rid of the Grubbs."

"Sekto is still alive!"

"You got that right. And at this very moment, the Grubbs are being attacked at their not-so-secret stronghold."

"How did you know where the stronghold was hidden!"

"I got it off your journal, idiot!"

"I have no time for this. The Grubbs need me. I'll deal with you later." He said, running away from her.

However, in just a split second, Mystique stood in his way. "Get out of my way!" He threatened, getting his crossbow ready. But in a flash, Mystique swiped it from him and crushed it in her hands. She smirked at him.

"Oh, looky here. No more crossbow." She teased him. "Sorry, I can't allow you leave. The boss wants to see you."

She took out her crossbow and shot an arrow at him. The arrow burst into a net and quickly wrapped around him. "You're gift-wrapped and ready to go." She said, evilly. "And don't worry, you and the Grubbs will be on the same Wolvark airship."

He couldn't do anything, but glare at her. "You're so cute when you're angry, but sadly, I have to crush you." She said, walking to him.

Against his will, she forced a French kiss on him. After that, she knocked him out by hitting him behind the neck. "Everything is going according to plan." She thought to herself.

A/N: Well, see you in Chapter: 14.


	14. She Truly is a Mystery

Hello, everybody! Here's chapter: 14!

Chapter: 14

Stranger's head began to toss and turn with excruciating pain. He slowly opened his eyes and was shocked to find himself strapped to the wall with chains. He was inside a Wolvark carrier ship. Not only that, the Grubbs were in cages that were on the floor and some dangling from the ceiling. All of them were badly bruised and scarred, nearly covered in their own blood. Stranger couldn't help but be ashamed of himself.

"What have I done?" He thought to himself. "All of this happened because of me. She was right. I was too soft on her. I should've shot her when I had the chance."

Metal doors began to open in front of him. Two figures emerged from the doors and walked toward him. It was Mystique and Sekto. Stranger glared at him and gritted his teeth. "Surprised to see me, Stranger?" Sekto teased at him.

"I'm surprised you're still alive." He answered back, angrily.

"Oh, yes………that. Ever since you destroyed my company and killed my host, I've been plotting my revenge. And thanks to your ex-girlfriend, my revenge will been complete very soon."

"You'll never get away with this."

"I already have. Hard to believe that someone from your own kind will double-cross you. Awkward, isn't it?"

"If she's a Steef, then why don't you kill her like what you did to the rest of my kind?"

"I could if I wanted to, but she's different. She's willing to kill another one of her kind for money. In fact, I've given her practically over $200,000 moolah for your capture."

Stranger was speechless. Was she that selfish? He couldn't help, but lower his head.

"Well, sorry to cut this reunion short, but I have to go. I have some more important business to attend to." Sekto said, walking away. Mystique stayed behind, watching Stranger. Before he left, Sekto snapped his fingers. Mystique nodded at him, and then Sekto disappeared into the doorway.

Mystique looked at Stranger, but Stranger glared at her. "What are you looking at!" He yelled at her. She ignored him and walked to a control pad. She started pushing a few button. In seconds, the Carrier ship began to tilt forward.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" Stranger yelled at her once more. She finally answered him.

"We are heading toward Sekto's dam. The one you and the Grubbs destroyed a while back."

"You're going crash us into the remains of the dam!"

"No." She answered back, calmly. On the Carrier's screen, they could see that they heading into the water. "You're going to drown us, aren't you?" Stranger asked. She simply shook her head. "Then what are you doing!" He yelled at her.

Without warning, Mystique lunged at him and landed another French one on him. He tried to break away from her, but her hands held his face in place.

After a few minutes, she walked away from him, ending that forced-upon kiss. She went to the control pad and punched a red button. A glass wall slid from the floor and separated her from Stranger and the Grubbs.

Stranger noticed something odd on her side. He saw water leaking in through the hull. Then she spoke to him. "You're lucky, you're cute, Stranger." She said. "If you weren't, then I wouldn't be doing this for you."

"What's going on, Mystique!" He yelled at her.

"My name is not Mystique. Not Mysti or even Mystery. Those are not my true name."

"What're you talking about?"

"If you really want to, then I'll just say this. The answers lie in the past."

"What?"

"I'm doing you a favor, Stranger. Sekto thinks we're heading for the dam, but I've separated the prison hold from the control room. I'm the one who's heading for the dam. The prison hold is also an escape pod. I've programmed it to take you and the Grubbs back to the village. Don't worry, Sekto won't realize you're still alive and well."

"Why are you doing this?"

"We'll see each other again, but not as friends."

On her side, water was already at her neck. She hit the button again, and the prison hold broke apart from the control room. At the last second, she blew a kiss to him, and crashed into the dam's ruins. The prison hold shot away from the crash.

Stranger couldn't help but wonder about her. Thoughts floated in his head. All were very confusing. She was truly a mystery.

A/N: Oooooooooooooh! How's that for a cliffhanger? See you in the next chapter!


	15. Her Real Name

Here's Chapter: 15. Sorry I took so long to update. School got my hands tied up. Anyways, enjoy the chapter.

Chapter: 15

When the escape pod finally hit dry land, all of them were released. The cage doors swung open on their own, allowing the Grubbs to get out. They were all fatally injured, but they were still able to walk.

Stranger was free as well, but he was hurt inside and out.

To their surprise, they were all at the Grubb city. Not only that, a few unexpected people were waiting for them. It was Mysti's older siblings, Kitsune and Oni-Yuri. Stranger noticed that Oni-Yuri was holding a book.

"I'm sorry for what happened." Kitsune said, bowing to them.

"Why? What did you do?" Stranger asked, curiously.

"I knew about my sister's plan."

"What! Why didn't you warn me or something!" He yelled at Kitsune.

"I just didn't think it would go this far. At least, you and the Grubbs are all alive."

"……………."

"Where is our little sister anyway?"

"She left us. She said that Mysti wasn't her real name."

"Did she say that all the answers lie in the past?"

"Yeah. She said something about that."

"Well, she told us the same thing, too. And we've found the answers."

"Really? How?"

Oni-Yuri answered him and opened the book she was holding. "This is Mysti's diary." She said.

"What about it?" Stranger asked.

"Her entries date back all the way to twenty years from now. And it's true what she said about her name. Mysti isn't her real name."

"What is her real name?"

"According to her diary, her real name is Ima, Ima Goodladie."

"That sounds pretty ironic."

"I know, but it also explains her plan. It turns out that she wanted revenge. She wanted to avenge the death of her husband and son."

"She had a family?"

"I guess so. It also says here that she wanted avenge her grandfather's death."

"Who is trying to kill?"

"Sekto."

"Sekto!" Stranger asked, shocked.

"Yup, it says here that in order for her to get to Sekto, she had to earn his trust. And in order to do that, she had to get pass you."

"So she had to betray me to get to Sekto."

"It would seem that way." Oni-Yuri said, closing the diary. "Stranger, now that you know the truth, what do you think of Mysti……er………Ima now?"

He sighed and scratched his head. "I really don't know. I don't know if I still love her or not. She did say that the next we meet, we aren't allies anymore."

"Well, we'll talk about that later. Let's tend to the Grubbs' wounds." Oni-Yuri said, pointing at the wounded Grubbs. Kitsune and Stranger nodded and followed her.

Sorry so short! See you in chapter 16!


	16. Good Bye

I hate Exam week!! Anyways, here's chapter 16!

Chapter: 16

It was already night. Stranger, along with Ima's siblings, had just finished tending to the Grubbs' wounds. He walked out of the Grubb city and took a little stroll in the forest.

For some reason he couldn't stop thinking about Ima. He wanted to forget about her, but he just couldn't. His heart began to ache even more just by thinking about her. Soon, he was haunted by memories of her. Memories of when she was just Mysti to him.

_Flashback_

_It was night and the bright moon was high in the sky. Stranger and Mysti were standing over a wooden bridge. "So, do you really love me, Stranger?" Mysti asked, resting her head on his shoulder. "Of course, Mysti." He answered back, resting his head on hers. _

"_You won't hurt me in any way will you, Stranger?"_

"_What are you talking about? Of course, I won't hurt you."_

"_Even if I do something bad?"_

"_Even though, I'll still love you."_

"_Is that so?"_

"_You bet." Stranger answered back, happily. Mysti smiled at him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you so much!" She whispered to him. After that, she walked away. _

_When she started walking away, Stranger began to rummage through his pockets. Finally he found what he was looking for and called her. "Mysti! I got something for you!" He called to her._

_She turned to him and walked back to him. "What is it, Stranger?" She asked._

"_Close your eyes. I got a surprise for you."_

"_Alright, then." She said, closing her eyes. Soon, she felt something being wrapped around her neck. "What are you doing, Stranger?"_

"_If you want to know, then open your eyes now." _

"_Alright." She opened her eyes and noticed a necklace hanging around her neck. "For me?" She asked, blushing._

"_Yup."_

"_That's so sweet. I'll think of it as a symbol of the love between us." She hugged him. "I'll never take this off."_

_Flashback ends_

He sighed after reminiscing about her. "She still has the necklace." He thought. Clouds started coming overhead. It wasn't before long that it started to rain. He decided to walk back to the Grubb city.

On his way back, the rain began to pour harder and harder. He was almost there. All he had to do was cross the bridge, leading back to the city. And it was the same bridge where he gave the necklace to Mysti.

When he finally reached the bridge, he noticed something or someone there. It was Mysti, or now Ima, standing at the bridge. Since it was raining, he couldn't tell if she was sad or not. He was also quite surprised that she was able to survive that crash. His mind and heart constantly fought with each other. He couldn't make up his mind of what to do right now.

His heart told him to go to her. She was probably very sad and needed some comfort. However, his mind disagreed. His mind told him to just leave her. Who cares what happened to her in the past? She was very selfish, and was willing to do anything to get back at Sekto. He and the Grubbs were very hurt because of her.

Despite the heavy pounding of his heart and the urge to go talk to her again, he decided to take the longer walk back to the city and avoid any contact with her. He thought if he walked away now, she wouldn't be able to notice him.

Ima, on the other hand, noticed him ever since. At first, she was oblivious to his presence, but when she heard him walking, she was very excited. Then she quickly realized that he was walking away from her, not towards her. She began to cry. She turned to his direction and saw him walking away. Like Stranger, her mind argued with her heart.

Her heart told her to call out to him because she was very sorry and wanted his forgiveness. She wanted to start over again and explain the whole thing. But her mind disagreed. Her mind told her that she should just let him go. He's obviously mad at her for using him and putting harm on the Grubbs.

And like Stranger, she began to walk away in the opposite direction of him, despite the pounding of her heart. She still wore the necklace he gave to her. She held the pendant of the necklace. It had the shape of a heart and was decorated with beautiful jewels. "It's the symbol of the love between us." She thought. "Sadly, that love doesn't seem to exist anymore."

She took off the necklace and ran back to the home where she and Stranger used to live together in. It took her a few hours to get there, since she wanted to avoid any Grubb seeing her.

When she finally got to the house, she could hear loud banging and crashing coming from inside. She noticed that those loud crashes came from the second floor of the house, and probably in her former room. She dared not to go inside. She could tell that it was Stranger. She silently climbed up a tree that stood near the house. It had sturdy branches that could reach the bedroom window.

From the branches, she peered into window. She was quite shocked to see what Stranger was doing in the bedroom. He destroyed anything that belonged to her. She could sense his anger and hatred towards her.

His rampage lasted for only several minutes. Then he left the bedroom, which was now completely destroyed. He didn't even notice Ima outside the window.

When the coast was clear, she quietly entered the room without making any loud noises. She was very heart broken to see what he had done. All her clothes were torn to pieces. Even photos of when they were still together were torn apart. "I guess it's really over between us." She thought, looking at the necklace. "I don't really deserve this anymore." She took off her hat and placed the necklace inside it. She tucked the hat under the pillow and left the room. "Good Bye, Stranger." She said, softly.

See you in chapter 17! Sorry if there are any typos. I was sort of rushing!


	17. Nightingale Appears

Hello, everyone! Here's Chapter 17!

Chapter: 17

"It's hard letting go." Ima said to herself, walking away from the Grubb city. "No wonder why I fell for him. He looks just like you, Hakujin." She took out a small locket from her pocket. The lid popped open and there was the picture of her family, the family she lost to Sekto.

"Hakujin, my dearest husband and Hoshi, our little bundle of joy." She thought. "Is he happy up there, my love? Is little Hoshi okay? I hope he is.

Don't worry, you two, I'll join with you soon enough. I'm so sorry for taking my time here. And don't freak out about my little affair, Hakujin. You should already know that Stranger will never take your place. It's just that your love helped me love again."

She put the locket away and continued walking until she reached the collapsed dam. Then she jumped on the ruins of the dam and made her way up the cliffside. When she reached the top ledge of the cliff, she saw a giant boulder sitting right in front of her.

"This is pathetic." She said to herself. "Nice try, Sekto, but a giant rock won't hide the entrance to your so-called secret lair."

She took out the shard of explosion and pressed it into the palm of her hand. Soon, her hand started glowing brightly. Without hesitation, she punched the boulder and in less than a second, the giant boulder was reduced to pebbles.

She smirked and slipped the shard back into her pocket. After destroying that boulder, a hole was revealed. She jumped into the hole and was quickly transported to an underground tunnel.

Once inside the tunnel, she began walking until she reached a huge iron door. The door was opened just a little bit. She peered through the crack, and inside she could see two figures talking to each other. One of them was Sekto, but the other one seemed familiar to her. The other figure was another female steef. She had long black hair that moved around like snakes. She wore a black ripped robe and her arms were wrapped with long blood-stained bandages.

Ima eavesdropped on their conversation.

"It's good to see you again, Miss Gale." Sekto said, politely. "May I just say that you look very beautiful today."

Ima was stunned. "Gale? Does he mean Nightingale?" She thought, as she continued eavesdropping.

"Please, shut up, Sekto." The other figure replied. "You already should know that you should always refer to me as Nightingale!"

Ima gasped. "I knew it!" She thought. "But what's she doing here? I thought I had banished her away ten years ago. How did she escape her host? So obvious that Sekto had something to do with it." She continued eavesdropping on them.

"Where are the two 'presents' you promised me, Sekto?" Nightingale asked, crossing her arms. "You may have broken the seal that trapped me, but you should already know that every wish I grant has a price."

"Yes, I know, mistress, but I still need more time." Sekto pleaded with her.

"I didn't want to hear any of your excuses, you Squid! I gave you all the time you needed!" She yelled at him. "I've granted your wish! I have given you your new body! And I expected you to pay me back!"

"I will, mistress! The two are……."

"….Are no longer of your concern!" She interrupted him. "The deal is off! I do not have any more use of you!"

"But please, mistress, I'll get them for you, just you wait!"

"BE GONE!" She yelled, as black lightning shot from the palm of her hand and into Sekto's mechanical body. The power of her lightning surged through his body. And in seconds, it exploded, leaving a dead, fried squid in its place.

She smirked at what she's done and sniffed the air. "I love the smell of fresh cooked calamari." She said, evilly. "My plan for world domination will now progress even further. All I have to do is get rid of any possible threat and anyone who tries to banish me again." She looked at the door.

"Isn't that right, Ima?" She spoke out loud.

When Ima heard her, she quickly backed away and ran for the exit. "Oh, great! She found me!" She thought. "I don't think I'll be able to cast the same spell that trapped her. I'm not powerful enough!"

Suddenly, something grabbed her foot, causing her to fall down. She looked to see what is was, and she was shocked. It was Nightingale's hand. Her arm had stretched all the way from the doorway. Then she began to reel her in.

Ima started kicking at her hand, trying to break free from her grip, but was unsuccessful. It wasn't before long that she was in the same room with Nightingale. Nightingale released her and quickly shot a bolt of black lightning at her.

Unfortunately, Ima wasn't fast enough to react, so she got hit with the lightning. Its powerful shock stunned her, forcing her to stay in place. Nightingale walked to her. "Well, if it isn't Ima." She teased. "The powerful mage who trapped me in the body of her forgotten child."

"What did you do to my kid? And I'm not talking about Hoshi! What did you do to my second child!" Ima yelled at her.

"Nothing much, dear Ima. Your child is alive."

"What are you going to do to me?"

"I'll keep you alive. Only to bring in your ex-boyfriend."

End of Chapter. Sorry so short! See you in chapter 18!


	18. Nightingale Attacks

Sorry I haven't updated in long time. Thanks for waiting! Here's Chapter 18! Enjoy!

Chapter: 18

"Don't bother using me as bait to bring in Stranger." Ima said, as she was being dragged into a cage by a Wolvark.

"Why's that, dear Ima?" Nightingale asked, curiously.

"He hates me, so he wouldn't really care about me, dead or alive."

"Is that so? Well, that won't stop me from bringing him in. By telling me just that, you just changed the rules of the game."

"Excuse me!!" Ima yelled, as she was thrown into and locked in a cage.

"It'll take more than a grudge to keep me away from him."

"By any chance, are you crushing on him?"

"Maybe……then again, maybe not. It's pretty hard to tell. I'll be going now." Nightingale said, as she left the room.

Ima sat down and sighed. "What is she up to?" She thought.

The Oddworld sun began to set as the moon began to rise. On a cliff above the Grubb village stood Nightingale. She stared down at the village with her blood-red eyes. "This will be easy." She thought.

She snapped her fingers and in a puff of smoke, she morphed into Ima. "So, if he hates her now, I wonder how much more hatred he'll release if 'Ima' goes on a little killing spree." She thought, as she jumped off the cliff and landed on the roofs of the Grubb huts.

In a few seconds, one of the Grubbs had spotted her. It was a Grubb soldier. "DUDES!!!" He yelled, pointing at her. "It's the traitor!! Get Stranger here now!!"

Frayda and a few other Grubb soldiers quickly ran for Stranger's house, while the other soldiers left to fight her.

"That's right. Bring Stranger to me. I can't wait to see the look on his face." Nightingale thought, as she leaped off the roof and attacked the Grubb soldiers.

Black lightning started charging on her hands. She grabbed one soldier with her charged hands, and just like that, the lightning surged though his body, killing him in an instant. She then through the dead Grubb into a group of Grubb soldiers, which caused them to stumble and trip over each other.

One other Grubb soldier tried to attack her from behind, but she saw that coming. The soldier tried to stab her in the back with a spear, but she quickly grabbed the spear and used it against him by stabbing him in the chest with it.

"This is pathetic." She thought as she continued on her killing spree.

Suddenly, she heard the scream of boombat coming overhead. She glanced up and saw one flying towards her. She quickly jumped out of the way and landed on a wooden barrel. She smirked. "Finally, he's here." She thought.

Stranger stood afar from her, glaring at her. "Why are you doing this, Ima!!" He yelled at her with his crossbow pointing at her.

"I just needed to blow off some steam." She said sarcastically.

"Are you mad at me for leaving you or something?"

"No, not really. It's just that I'm not used to anyone dumping me so harshly."

"And you're hurting the Grubbs because why?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's the only way to get your attention. By the way, that crossbow looks new. Where'd you get it?"

"That's none of your business! Get out of here now or I'll be forced to kill you!"

"Do you even have the guts to shoot me?"

"You bet I do." He said, loading a boombat on is crossbow.

"Take your best shot at me then." She taunted.

Without hesitation, he shot three boombats at her. At first, he was pretty confidant, but then he was surprised when he saw her slap all three boombats away as if they were nothing. "Is that all you got?" She taunted once more.

As he was about to load some more boombats, he was interrupted by an explosion. He looked to see what it was and he was shocked. The hut that housed all the injured Grubbs was up in flames. "What happened?" He yelled at her.

She smirked at him. "That was me. Thank you very much." She said, evilly. "I hope all the Grubbs in that hut rest in pieces." After that, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Stranger to handle this. He quickly ran to help the Grubbs. It was clear to him now. Ima is public enemy number one.

On her way towards her lair, Nightingale shifted into her normal form. "This should get a little more interesting." She thought.

Sorry if there are any typos! See you in chapter 19.


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